J.
Anthony, Member of the Guild of American Luthiers
J. Anthony is an independent
Luthier, creating guitars one at a time in his small shop.
Though handcrafted instruments often sell for thousands
of dollars, J. Anthony is committed to nonprofit enterprises.
100% of all proceeds gathered through this project go
to charity.
Each handcrafted guitar is
made from only the finest instrument quality materials.
The best quarter sawn wood is used for the top, back and
sides to ensure that these
guitars perform at the highest range of the performers
expectations.
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About
J. Anthony
For many years
J. Anthony has enjoyed studying the guitar and playing
music. Though his Grandfather Patrick Henry Coleman was
his initial introduction to music, it was not until he
met Adrian Lopes, that J. Anthony became interested in
the guitar. Adrian was a teacher at Our Lady of Mercy
School, and in sixth grade, she taught him to play. It
was over many years of playing the guitar, that J. Anthony
eventually took the step to pursue the art of lutherie.
Today
J. Anthony enjoys making guitars in many different styles,
from the Spanish influenced classical, to some of the
more contemporary steel string models. Along with various
modern tools, he also employs many of the traditional
methods using the same types of hand tools that were available
in 19th century Spain. Draw knifes, spoke shaves, cabinet
scrapers and rasps are but a few of the tools used on
every guitar. Most of the methods and tools he uses today
have not materially changed in the last 200 years. J.
Anthony makes guitars for the love of the art, and only
makes them for friends, family and charitable causes.
When asked what his goal is, J. Anthony would like his
guitars to command a price upwards of $10,000 with each
charitable event. The thought that he is creating a beautiful
and rare instrument that will bring joy to someone for
generations is enough for J. Anthony. He believes that
the best way to support the arts is to support the artists.
Over
the last several years, J. Anthony has had the opportunity
to study with some exceptional guitar makers of
our time. Although he has only spent a couple of
weeks with them each time, these luthiers have been
very generous and open with their knowledge and
have played a key role in the success he has achieved
in the craft. Fabio Raggianti was his first instructor.
It was Fabio who introduced J. Anthony to beginning
guitar building, and specifically the classic guitar.
Other luthiers who have been generous enough to
share their time are Charles Fox, Ervin Somogyi,
Harry Fleishman, and Dale Unger.
In
1991 J. Anthony married Sabra Howard, and had four
kids, Samantha, Sabrina, Alexandra and Victoria.
All of them have helped out in the shop and whether
it is sanding sides or forming the headstock, he
counts them all as his Junior Apprentices. |
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Our
overall objective is to raise money for charity. 100%
of all proceeds collected goes directly to charity as
J. Anthony underwrites the expenses himself.
If you have a project, fundraiser or a charity that could
benefit from our work, please reach out to us. You can
stay up to date and involved by looking at our “Current
Charitable Projects” and please purchase a ticket
toward our next charitable event.
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